A brick church building during the day, with several different roof lines including a spire in the center

St. Paul AME Church

Name: St. Paul AME Church
Address: 85 Martin Luther King Ave., St. Augustine, FL, 32084, US
Telephone: (904) 829-3918

Founded in 1873, this church has fostered the city's resilient spirit for generations.

St. Paul AME Church

(904) 829-3918

Across the street from the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center
85 Martin Luther King Ave.
St. Augustine, FL 32084

+3 more

A Pillar of Resilience

Founded in 1873, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church is an active place of worship with a long history, located within the Lincolnville neighborhood. From its beginnings in a modest wooden structure near Maria Sanchez Creek to its central role in the Civil Rights Movement, the church reflects more than 150 years of African-American leadership, advocacy, and faith.

Richard Allen (1760-1831) is known as the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

National Roots

The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination was founded in 1816 by Richard Allen, a former slave who led a walkout from a segregated Methodist congregation in Philadelphia. It became the first independent Black denomination in the United States, established not over theology, but over racial justice. After the Civil War, AME missionaries spread rapidly throughout the South, including Florida.

By 1867, the Florida Annual Conference of the AME Church was formed. One of its first ordained ministers, Rev. William G. Steward, founded Midway AME Church, the first independent Black church in Florida. The denomination quickly became a powerful force for education, political advocacy, and religious leadership in Black communities during Reconstruction.

a black and white photo of an older black man in a suit and tie, circas 1880s he is bearded with short hair — On June 10, 1865, William G. Steward founded Midway AME Church, which was the first independent Black church in Florida. He later served a term in the Florida Legislature. *Image courtesy of Florida Memory.*

History of St. Paul AME

St. Paul AME Church was officially founded on June 4, 1873 when its founding pastor, Reverend Richard James, built a modest wooden church near the edge of the Maria Sanchez Creek. The first services took place in a tiny 10-by-12-foot space in St. Augustine’s "Little Africa" community, now called Lincolnville. Most of the early church's congregants were formerly enslaved people navigating a new life in freedom.

Though growth was initially slow, St. Paul AME began to thrive in the late 19th century as more Black laborers moved to Florida seeking community and opportunity. By 1880, the AME denomination had grown to more than 40,000 members nationwide.

Ponce de Leon vintage postcard — Henry Flagler's projects in Florida, chiefly the opening of the Ponce de Leon Hotel, changed life for all of St. Augustine's citizens. *Image courtesy of Florida Memory.*

Boom, Bust, & Rebirth

In 1888, under Reverend J.H. Hill, the congregation moved into a new masonry church on School Street, funded through a mortgage with a local building and loan association. The new building coincided with Henry Flagler’s development boom, which brought a surge of population (and disruption) to the city.

Just months later, a yellow fever epidemic swept through St. Augustine, devastating the region. Still, the congregation persisted and managed to pay off most of the church’s $3,000 debt. But in 1903, while Sunday School was still in session, the church was repossessed and the congregation forced out.

Despite this setback, St. Paul AME’s members kept worshiping wherever they could, including on land offered by the nearby St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church.

A black and white drawing of a masonry building. A central bell tower at the entrance. — The masonry church that was St. Paul's second location stood on School Street in the Lincolnville neighborhood from 1888 to around 1910. *Image courtesy of Florida Memory.*

A New Foundation on MLK Avenue

In 1904, County Commissioner William Van Dyke, the first Black elected official in St. Johns County, sold the church a parcel of land on Central Avenue (now MLK Avenue). Led by Reverend E.F. Williams, the congregation built a new brick church, funded by labor, donations, and volunteer craftsmanship from local carpenters, brick masons, stained-glass artisans, and community members.

In less than a year, the church rose debt-free. Though some called it "New St. Paul" in honor of its fresh start, the name never formally changed. The building, still in use today, has stood for over a century as a symbol of faith, endurance, and local pride.

Civil Rights in the Sanctuary

During the Civil Rights Movement, St. Paul AME was an important meeting place in St. Augustine. In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Andrew Young used the church as a headquarters for planning marches, hosting “Freedom School” sessions, and rallying support for demonstrations across the city.

Dr. King preached several times at St. Paul—the only church in Florida where he did so before leading a protest. The church was central to nightly marches and played a vital role in the events that helped push Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Over the years, the church also welcomed speakers and advocates like Dr. Robert B. Hayling, Jackie Robinson, and Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress.

The ceiling of the St. Paul AME Church in St. Augustine. All white with dark wood beams in the shape of wheel spokes. — The ceiling in St. Paul's is designed to look like the spokes of a wheel. The architecture is a reference to a vision that came to the Prophet Ezekiel, which inspired the spiritual, "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel." The chorus of the song says: "And the big wheel run by faith, good Lord / And the little wheel run by the grace of God." The dual-layered cosmogram of a wheel represents the ever-moving and interconnections of our universe. In the context of Black History in America, the wheel is a poignant image, as well.

Architecture & Symbolism

The current brick church, built in 1904, features hand-laid masonry, arched stained glass windows, and a prominent front-facing bell tower. Inside, the ceiling is designed to resemble the spokes of a wheel (a reference to the spiritual "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel" and a symbol of divine movement).

This wheel motif is more than just architecture, it's rooted in African cosmology and biblical vision and reflects the church’s deep spiritual symbolism and cultural grounding.

Shirley Chisolm posing with congregants from St. Paul AME Church in St. Augustine, Florida. — After the Civil Rights Movement, the St. Paul AME Church and St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church collaborated to host Representative Shirley Chisholm. Left to right: James Tucker (former city employee), Richard White (former City Commissioner and North City jazz club owner), Shirley Chisholm, and Thomas Jackson (2024 President of the St. Augustine Historical Society). *Image courtesy of St. Paul AME Church.*

A Living History

The church remains active today, continuing its work in worship, service, and civic engagement. In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) documented St. Paul AME Church for its historical and social significance, noting its thriving organizations including the Women’s Missionary Society, Sunday School, and Allen Christian Endeavor League.

In 1985, St. Paul congregants successfully petitioned to rename Central Avenue as Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue—one of the few streets Dr. King actually marched down during the Civil Rights Movement.

the altar and baptismal font at St. Paul AME Church in St. Augustine, Florida

Visitor Information

Sunday Worship:

9:00 a.m. – Church School (Bible Discovery Hour)
10:45 a.m. – Worship Service

Wednesday Services:

12:00 p.m. – Noon Prayer
6:00 p.m. – “Real Talk” Bible Study

Office Hours:

Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Website & Virtual Access:

Worship and events are available online.

The interior of St. Paul AME Church, with the altar in the background and pews in the foreground

Explore More Historic Churches

St. Paul AME Church is one of several sacred sites that helped shape the history of St. Augustine. Visit our Historic Churches page to explore more places where faith, architecture, and history come together in America’s oldest city.

As in many other cities, St. Augustine has a street named after Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. However, it is one of the few streets in the country that bear his name that he actually marched down. In 1985, congregants of St. Paul rallied the city commission to have Central Avenue renamed M.L.K. Avenue in honor of Dr. King, who stayed at homes and spoke at churches along that and neighboring streets.

Learn more about St. Augustine's Black History.